French baguette added to U.N. ‘intangible cultural heritage’ list
PBS NewsHourMAR 27 2023
Food culture is part of humanity. It's not just about the foods we eat but about why we eat food, how we prepare it, and who we share our cuisine with. Food connects us to history and allows people to connect across societies. It is important to protect these cultural foods to safeguard our traditions and continue to share in our shared history — the baguette is a great example.
There are significant flaws in the UNESCO application and selection process for the Intangible Cultural Heritage list. For example, the process has largely excluded Chinese cuisine from the recognition, which is focused on unique historical know-how and skills. To have a more effective selection process, UNESCO must stop treating the process as a Western-centric publicity stunt and focus on humanity's collective culinary legacy.